In their second match in the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Orlando Valkyries will take on the Vegas Thrill on Saturday, February 10 at 7 p.m. The match will take place at Addition Financial Arena and will be streamed on YouTube. Tickets for the game are still available and fans can visit the Orlando Valkyries website for additional information.
The Orlando Valkyries enter this match following a hard-fought loss against the Atlanta Vibe in their home opener. Despite a commendable performance, they fell short in a closely contested five-set match, with the final score reading 2-3 (25-20, 25-27, 25-27, 25-16, 12-15). Eager to bounce back, the Valkyries will be aiming to secure a victory on home turf.
The Vegas Thrill started their season with a win against the Omaha Supernovas on Wednesday night, securing victory in a five-set match with a score of 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 25-20, 18-25, 15-12).
Valkyries Players to Watch:
Adora Anae in her first-ever start for the Valkyries, led the team with 18 kills and tallied up 2 blocks and an ace giving the team a total of 21 points in the home opener. She joins the Valkyries with six years of professional experience, having played volleyball globally in South Korea, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, and Greece. Throughout her tenure abroad, she was awarded Best Outside Hitter in the Puerto Rican League and Best Scorer in the Korean V-League. Prior to breaking into the professional scene, she was a standout at the University of Utah. Anae was the first-ever player to be named to the 1st-Team Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. She is the school's all-time single-season kills leader with 501 and was the first player in program history to earn back-to-back AVCA All-American honors and the first player to ever be named to the All-AVCA First Team.
Wilma Rivera came out of the Valkyries' home opener with the highest hitting percentage on the team and an impressive 39 out of 48 assists, averaging 7.8 assists per set. Her professional experience spans various teams, including Amazonas de Trujillo Alto, Valencianas de Juncos, Volley-Ball Club Chamalières, and Rote Raben Vilsbiburg. Currently representing the Puerto Rico National Team, Rivera recently earned recognition as the Best Server at the World Olympic Qualification 2024. In her collegiate years, she amassed a collection of honors, including ACC Setter of the Year, AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, AVCA All-Region First Team, and ACC All-Conference First Team.
Thrill Players to Watch:
Molly McCage is the Vegas Thrill’s sole player selected to the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Preseason All-League Team. In Thrill’s first match, McCage tied for the most points of the night with 22 points (14 kills and eight blocks). As a middle blocker, she represented the USA National Team, achieving a gold medal at the Pan American Cup in 2017. During her collegiate career at the University of Texas, she garnered numerous honors, including being named to the All-Big 12 First Team, two All-American titles, and a National Championship win in 2012. In McCage’s professional career, she played in the German Women’s Volleyball League earning medals of bronze, silver, and gold, and was named the league’s Best Blocker.
Hannah Maddux tied in most points with McCage in Vegas’s first match with 18 kills, three blocks, and one ace. Maddux was drafted to the Thrill as the 26th overall draft pick in the Pro Volleyball Federation's inaugural draft. She attended the University of South Alabama, where she led her team to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Maddux ended her collegiate career by being third in the Sun Belt conference & 27th nationally in total kills, along with ranking third in the conference in total attacks.
This will be the first meeting of the Valkyries and the Thrill this season. The two teams will face off three more times during the 2024 season.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world-class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
ABOUT ORLANDO VALKYRIES
The Orlando Valkyries, proud member team in the Pro Volleyball Federation – the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Valkyries will play out of Addition Financial Arena, located in the heart of the University of Central Florida campus, and will begin play in January 2024. Home opener and season tickets for the inaugural season are on sale now. For more information on how to get tickets, contact the Orlando Valkyries sales department at (321)-244-4600 Ext. 113, email Tickets@OrlandoValkyries.com, click on www.OrlandoValkyries.com visit the Addition Financial Arena box office, or go to the Ticketmaster website: https://www.ticketmaster.com Fans can follow the team on Facebook or via Twitter Instagram, and TikTok - @ORLValkyries or visit OrlandoValkyries.com.
* Orlando Valkyries, Pro Volleyball, DIG IT! *